Southeast Missouri to get new area code — welcome 235

Less than three weeks after the Missouri Public Service Commission announced the supply of available telephone numbers in the 573 area code was being exhausted, the state agency announced earlier this week a new area code -- 235 -- will "overlay" the current one at an unspecified future date.

"The 573 area code is not going away and customers who have that code will not lose or have to change their telephone number," PSC chairman Ryan Silvey said in a statement.

"An overlay is a more efficient and less disruptive way to alleviate the exhaustion of available numbers by simply assigning the new area code, 235, to new numbers."

The new area code was created by North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA).

NANPA officials said the overlay means there will be both 573 and 235 area codes in the same area.

Area code 573, boasting the largest geographic area in the state, was created in 1996 and covers all Southeast Missouri while extending north of Hannibal and west of Jefferson City.

Among communities included in the current 573 are Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Caruthersville, Rolla, Columbia, Mexico, Camdenton, Waynesville and Farmington.

Overlay facts

The original three-digit numbering plan, called area codes, was unveiled by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator in October 1947. Missouri's Public Service Commission announced earlier this week Southeast Missouri will be getting an additional area code, 235, but has not announced the date it will go into effect.North American Numbering Plan Administrator

• Existing telephone numbers will not change. But new customers will get numbers with the 235 area code.
• Costs of calling and other applicable rates and services will not change because of the overlay.
• Local calls remain local calls.
• Customers must dial all 10 digits for a local call.
• Three-digit abbreviated dialing, such as 911 or 411, will still work and won't be impacted by the change.

History

Largest population regions originally received the easiest to dial area codes beginning with the advent of the three-digit prefix in October 1947.

For example: New York received 212, Los Angeles got 213 and Chicago became 312. More rural areas received harder to dial, larger numbers, such as 915, assigned today to El Paso County, Texas.

Area codes in Missouri at the inception of NANPA's numbering system were 816, serving the western half of the state and 314, the eastern half.

Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union in 1959; therefore, only the 48 contiguous U.S. states were assigned area codes originally.